Drug rehab center in Leyte ‘narco’ mayor’s town pushed

ALBUERA, Leyte, Sept. 19 (PNA) – The local police here will build a rehabilitation center for self-confessed drug dependents in this town.

Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, the town’s police chief said Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa approved the plan during the latter’s visit in the region.

The proposed center will soon rise at the 2,000 square meter lot owned by the family of Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr., the father of alleged top drug lord in the region, Kerwin Espinosa.

The drug buster cop said that the mayor supported the idea and even vowed to donate the family’s property in Benolho village, where their cars and confiscated snakes were previously kept.

The Espinosa family is willing to execute a deed of donation signed by the entire family as soon as the lot document is complete.

The awardee cop is not sold out to end the agency’s campaign by leaving the self-confessed drug users doing nothing. “We have to sustain the intervention until they are able to get back to normal lives.”

Part of the program to be provided to the surrenderers are stress debriefing, moral recovery, spiritual intercessions so as to lead them to full upturn from previous activities and eventually transform them to be productive.

A bungalow and the long array of garage that occupy the wide lot of the Espinosas need modification fitting for a drug rehabilitation center.

Portion of the wide lot will be allotted for their livelihood ready for cultivation to at least sustain their everyday needs through organic farming.

Should this push through, the involvement of various government agencies like the Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare, Department of Agriculture and non-government organizations are vital.

This idea proposed by Espinido won the support of the community, specifically the drug users. The people’s trust on him was boosted when he gradually restored peace and security in the town in less than a month.

Currently, on a regular basis, the community folks are gathered to a zumba exercise held near the police station “to detoxify them, especially those who were drug users. After which, everybody enjoys porridge that we prepared for them,” Espenido said.

In the drive to eradicate criminality, Espenido does not only focus in anti-drug campaign. He imposes strict implementation of common violated laws like illegal gambling, non-wearing of helmet among motorcycle riders, violence and family dispute, among others, in which few have been arrested. (PNA)

FPV/SQM/ELVIE ROMAN ROA/EGR